Book

Food so good it may send you "over the edge."

To compliment my "all things lead to food"-type obsession...I also find myself drawn to movies with great "food scenes". Chocolat, Under the Tuscan Sun, Tortilla Soup, Woman on Top...the list goes on. One movie in particular, amidst the violence, gore, people- who range from unsavory to Oh-So-Savory (Johnny Depp...aaaahhhh), is Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Johnny's character (Agent Sands) orders his favorite dish in any cantina, taqueria or restaurant he's in. Have you seen it? Remember when he practically forces somebody else to try his Puerco Pibil? He is so obsessed with this dish and finding the best version of it, that when he DOES find the perfect plate of it, it sends him over the edge (don't want to spoil it for those of you who haven't seen it...and want to).

Since I enjoy most of Robert Rodriguez'swork (Director/Producer extraordinaire..think Spy Kids, From Dusk til Dawn (Clooney, Donna), Sin City, Planet Terror and the two movies that basically find their finale in this particular movie, El Mariachi and Desperado), I did end up buying the movie as soon as I could. Now, as much as I enjoy the movie, it's the "extras" that make me particularly pleased with myself. Good thing you bought the movie, or you may not even know this was here, girlichef!! The special features include a featurette titled 'Ten Minute Cooking School'. Rodriguez himself teaches us how to make that amazing Puerco Pibil that was just too much for Agent Sands to handle. And believe me, it's definitely a "killer" recipe....

Puerco Pibilby Robert Rodriguez5 Tbs. annato seeds2 tsp. cumin seeds1 Tbs. whole black peppercorns8 whole allspice1/2 tsp. whole cloves2 habanero chiles1/2 c. orange juice1/2 c. white vinegar2 Tbs. salt8 garlic cloves, peeledJuice of 5 lemonssplash of Tequila~5 lb. pork butt (shoulder)banana leavesFirst, place first 5 ingredients into a spice grinder (or coffee grinder...kept separate for spices) and grind until it is a very fine dust. Annato (or achiote) seeds are super hard, so be sure to get them to a powder or you'll be cracking a tooth on them later.Next, carefully dice your habaneros. Remove the seeds & veins...or leave them in if you'd like to set your mouth on fire.Add the habanero, along with the orange juice, white vinegar, salt and garlic cloves to the jar of a blender. Dump in your spice mixture and blend. Add the lemon juice and splash of "best quality" tequila (tequila is "optional", but come on...Rodriguez says this was that extra little something that sent Sands over the edge). Blend everything together until well combined. Cut your pork butt into 2" chunks. Place in a large zippered baggie and pour the mixture in the blender over the meat. Close it and make sure all the meat is covered well. Set aside for a bit.Line a large, deep pan with the banana leaves. Pour in all of the contents of the baggie. Cover again with more banana leaves to seal it all in. This will add flavor and keep all the steam inside. Before I put it in the oven, I also cover the whole dish with foil.Cook in preheated 325 degree F oven for 4 hours. Remove from oven carefully and remove foil. Carefully (steam!!) pull back the banana leaves.

Serve over plain rice (white or brown...I used brown)...scooping some of the juices over the meat. Eat as is or roll some into a warm corn tortilla. Beware...this dish is so good it could push you "over the edge", too!!

This plate of goodness contained habaneros....another tasty addition to my chile pepper roundup!! Don't forget to send me a link to any of your recipes containing chile peppers (along with a photo) by May 27th...can't wait to sweat my way through this tasty lineup!!

I think I will also send this over to Gloria at Tex-Mex Recipes for Taco Tuesdays...mmmm, Puerco Pibil filled tacos....

Michiana-based food writer with a fondness for garlic, freshly baked bread, stinky cheese, dark beer, and Mexican food—who believes that immersing herself in different cultures one bite at a time is the best path to enlightenment.

I once did that in my town - trying to find the best Fettucine Alfredo, ha! But unlike Johnny I didn't go over the edge. How cool that they have the recipe on the dvd!! It looks over the top with yummy-ness!!

We use banana leaves a lot back in India. The leaves are not only used for wrapping,but also as a disposable plate(so eco-friendly).I remember my gran used to make a sweet and steam it in little packets made with turmeric leaves.The leaves would impart such a nice flavour!!

I like livig on the edge ... sometimes ... with food. Everything else I'm afraid of! Oh this looks so wonderful and you do such a beautiful job showcasing the recipe so it always looks easy. I'm adding the movie to my Netflix queue.

Have you seen the Youtube video where he talks about that part of the movie, and then shows you have to make breakfast tacos, or actually tortillas at 4:30 in the morning in his studio kitchen? I love that movie, and also share your passion for food related movies...great post!

OH MY GAH. After reading about this dish, how could I not try it?! It sounds stellar, fantastic, amazing, delicious. I love the movie correlation to this dish, too...it only makes me want to try it all the more. Man oh man, this looks sooo good. I hope I have an opportunity to make it ASAP.

Hello from Lady P of the knitted cupcakes - I "may" have some for sale - if I can just get them all made!! But, let me see what I can do and get back to you on that - okay? maybe I can donate one to the cause - when would I have to have it to you by?

Absolutely tremendous! I love your posts and recipes but this ranks right up there with your lengua post in my estimation. I've been wanting to watch El Mariachi and Desperado; now I'll have to add this film to the list.

...Vikash- I do not know any substitutes for annatto! That is such a bummer that you cannot find them in your area. They are really what "makes" the color of this dish and impart a large part of the signature flavor. Can you find annatto paste? Also known as achiote seeds or paste?

Disclaimer: posts may contain Amazon affiliate links, which earn me a small commission when you buy (but doesn't cost you anything extra). Occasionally I receive free products and/or run sponsored posts—this will always be stated clearly in the post. Thank you for supporting this blog.